Just Show Me the Stuff

At long last, after a well deserved vacation, here we go again -- with a great new article by Matt Sorger. If you're looking for a genuine minister with high moral integrity -- check out Matt. Here's his latest article that has really gotten quite a bit of positive feedback from readers. [see his website at www.mattsorger.com]

Just Show Me the Stuff!

Personal Reflections by Matt Sorger

I am witnessing an alarming trend in some of our charismatic circles and services. I travel full time on the road all across the United States and other parts of the world. Each week I am ministering in another state to a new group of hungry believers wanting to live in the fullness of God’s Spirit. Several times in the last few months I have encountered a disturbing and grievous observation. Before I share it with you, let me give you some of my personal background.

A FIRM FOUNDATION

I was saved at the age of 14. I am thankful to have been raised in a solid Bible preaching, Spirit-filled church. The word was always given a priority. An understanding of living a holy, sanctified life was always preached with conviction. I took my first steps of walking, living and ministering in the Spirit there. As a young pastor I was given some room to begin to spread my wings as the anointing and power of God began to move through my life. I took full flight when I launched out from pastoring six years ago to travel full time in a “prophetic revival” ministry.

My years before pastoring were spent seeking God as a young person, spending time in personal devotion and study of the word, as well as nearly four years in a great Bible school in Rhode Island where I served as class president during my time there. Upon graduation I stepped into the pastoral ministry. I learned many valuable things during those years that I carry with me to this day. Life experiences have a way of shaping you into the person God has called you to be.

I want to define to you what I consider “prophetic revival” ministry. For me “prophetic” means hearing and then declaring a true word from God, either through preaching and teaching God’s heart as revealed in His word, or declaring and speaking forth an unctioned word from His heart. But even that kind of prophetic word will be solidly rooted and grounded in scripture. “Revival” holds a dual meaning for me. I see it as stirring up the church for a deeper passion for God and learning to live and walk in the power of the Holy Spirit and then seeing that passion overflow through the lives of believers into the world around us. The power of God in the life of the believer cannot be contained by oneself. It must overflow and impact the world around us.

AN ALARMING TREND

Now I must share with you an alarming trend I have witnessed taking place. I have even experienced it in my own meetings! Because this is hitting so close to home I can no longer be silent. I am a man of deep convictions. And it is time for me to share them with you. Recently, after a meeting I was standing near my resource table greeting people. A woman approached me to share of the wonderful overflow of the Holy Spirit she had experienced from the meeting the day before. She could sense a whole new level of God’s presence with her. It was clear she had been deeply touched. But she proceeded to share something with me that caused me to raise a “red flag.”

She said, “You know, when you started preaching, I thought, I have heard this before. I really came looking to hear something I had never heard before. But the presence of God in the meeting did have a profound impact on me, and I am not the same.” I rejoiced over what the Lord had done for her, but at the same time I grieved.

That same week a pastor I was having lunch with shared with me his thoughts concerning the meetings we were holding. We had only finished one day of meetings when he shared his thoughts with me. The night before I had preached a word the Holy Spirit had placed on my heart. After the preaching of the word I proceeded to be led by the Spirit in calling some folks out from the audience and prayed for them with a clear demonstration of God’s presence and power. I left the meeting rejoicing.

The pastor didn’t quite feel the same. He said to me, “You know, if the preaching of the gospel could have gotten the job done, it would have been done a long time ago. What we need are the signs. I just want to see the stuff. I don’t want you preaching. Preach just a few minutes. We want the miracles.” Only once before had I had such pressure put on me to “perform." It became apparent very quickly to me that what they were really wanting was a charismatic show. They wanted the “signs following” with no preaching of the word. I’m sorry; but I am making an announcement to the world. I am a WORD preacher.

I see an alarming trend. In the prophetic movement, it seems we may be unintentionally cultivating a mindset where the truth of the power of the cross and blood of Christ are no longer good enough. We need signs, signs and more signs. A life transformed by the power of God’s amazing word is no longer enough. “Let me hear and see something new. Something I have never heard or seen before, something that will wow me!” So we have hundreds of hungry believers fascinated by and following stories of supernatural encounters that have been, at times, exaggerated by charismatic personalities. Trust me when I say I have seen stories stretched and exaggerated to be something they never originally were. And I have seen people eat it up like popcorn and cotton candy. I want you to hear my heart in this. I am all for supernatural encounters. I have had many myself and I know of others in ministry that have had some beautiful, real, life-changing supernatural encounters with God. But I am not into charismatic hype or manipulation. Just say it like it is. Don’t exaggerate, add to or blow something up just to make a good story or to sell a bunch of CD’s. I am not being negative. I am seeking to bring balance back into a movement I am so proud to be a part of -- a movement that didn’t just want to hear empty words, but wanted it backed up with real substance, power and glory.

I want the real thing! I want the real manifest presence of God. I want the real miracles, the real signs and wonders, the real angelic encounters (as God chooses to give them to me.) I don’t want a hyped-up version. I don’t want to just hear something new and different, just for the sake of hearing something I have never heard before. I want my everyday life encountered in a real way by God’s word and anointing. I want to hear something that I can apply to my life. I want the fullness of God’s word to renew my mind, change me from the inside out and fill my life with real power and glory.

People who only want to hear something they have never heard before are in serious danger of opening themselves up to a gospel that is different from the one we find in scripture. If you are running around only looking for a new revelation without first putting into practice the hundreds of revelations given to us in God’s word, you are looking in the wrong direction. God has not called us to be flakey. He has called us to be solidly grounded in Him, to preach the gospel in season and out and to impact the world around us as salt and light.

I love the prophetic. I love the supernatural. But the moment we start wanting signs without the word of God, we are in trouble. And this is what I have been seeing. Recently I had two pastors in different parts of the United States both proceed to tell me that they wanted the preaching of the word to be kept to a bare minimum with an emphasis placed on the signs and the wonders. I need to set the record straight. Signs FOLLOW the preaching of the word. If you become a sign seeker apart from the word of God, you will become ungrounded and will reproduce that in your ministry. It will build an unhealthy and weak foundation in people’s lives.

THE MOST PRECIOUS SIGN

The sign I am most after these days is the sign of a life transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. I want to see people hungry to truly apply the word of God to their lives and not just want to hear something new, but put into practice what they already know. I want to see people walking in love. I want to see people living righteously. I want to see people knowing who they are in Christ so the devil can’t continually beat them up. I want to see people experience the abundant life Jesus came to give them. I want to see people preaching the gospel in power, laying hands on the sick, casting out demons and raising the dead. But we can never forget that the power of the gospel is revealed through the foolishness of preaching. Not just preaching our good stories, but preaching the word of God with power and authority. A sign without the word points nowhere.

I want to encourage the body of Christ in these days to evaluate everything you have believed and be sure it is pure gospel. Go back and read the New Testament from cover to cover and ask the Holy Spirit to write upon your heart the full counsel of God’s word as revealed in the New Covenant. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you into all truth and to be sure your foundations are strong and solid. Never neglect God’s word. It has the power to change your life. As you soak in God’s word and in His presence, you will truly live a Spirit-filled, Spirit-empowered life that will make a real difference in the world around you. Go and be the salt and light God has called you to be. And always remember, there is power in God’s word and in the Holy Spirit to give you power for life!

[That last line is a reference to Matt's TV program POWER FOR LIFE, seen on God TV, every Monday morning at 8:30 am, est. ]

MS Boy Walks!

How wonderful! I can't wait to see more and more of these miracles happening! Yes, we're in the day and age when God's power for healing and miracles is going to be so prevalent and so compelling that it will take the breath away from the athiests.

If they have a shred of honesty in them, they will be rendered speechless and repent.

We're going to be able to catch these miracles on video. And, working on behalf of Matt Sorger Ministries, I hope to get powerful, miraculous miracles for our TV show POWER FOR LIFE (seen on God TV, Monday mornings at 8:30 am, est.

Now, the minister you see here is Dave Roberson. He's the author of the book THE WALK OF THE SPIRIT, THE WALK OF POWER.

I just got another copy this week, since I keep giving them away to people. You can download it for free here: http://www.daveroberson.org/books.aspx or purchase it here: http://www.iktus.net/pages.asp?pageid=49736

Matt Sorger Reordained under James Goll

There was not a dry eye in the house. Tearful joy washed across the faces of those present. Matt Sorger was being reordained under Prophet James Goll. And, as Matt’s parents, Rich and Veronica, approached the stage, everyone took on the role of a doting parent, proud and grateful for Matt.

From the day of Matt’s birth, his father Rich said, he took him in his arms and prophesied that Matt was going to do “something very special” with his life. Veronica joined in, saying between tears, that Matt was born premature and prayed, “Lord, please let me have him and I’ll take good care of him.”

The Lord, she related, directed her to a list of names and the Lord told her, “Name him Matthew, gift of the Lord.”

“From my womb you were called Matt; and he was forming leadership qualities in you even from a young child. And now (upon this ordination) this is your day; the lord is calling you out to a new season and a new time.

“It is my prayer that you would be a man who always divides the word of truth correctly; who will always walk in humility before his God; and that you will always love the Lord your God with all of your heart.

“And I praise God that he privileged me to be your mom.”

Joshua and Janet Mills also spoke blessings to Matt in this solemn ordination ceremony, conducted during the 2009 Glory, Signs and Wonders Conference in Melville, NY.
Matt then kneeled at the altar before the ordination committee, comprising of James Goll, Chris Poole, and Don Loper, Matt’s pastor from Riverhead, NY.

Chris, assistant to James Goll, prophesied that Matt will know Jesus in an “unusual level” of closeness. He will walk in a new level. “And the Lord says ‘you will walk hand in hand, face to face, in step and in stride; knowing how to stay in sync with My Holy Spirit.’ And the Lord says, ‘out of that, people will understand who I am by watching who I am in the midst of you,’ says the Lord.”

James said that through Matt’s hands will come displays of wonders and compassion. “You will be shocked yourself. I am going to release wonderment about the amazing grace of God.”
James declared Matt to be a “worldwide ambassador for the body of Christ that will carry amazing grace internationally.”

Matt will be known as Matthew, but his brother Rick, said James, shall be known as Paul. “This is a day,” said James, “of affirmation and confirmation for this whole family.”

JOSHUA MILLS

Joshua Mills, one of the guest speakers at the conference, has a remarkable way of hearing from the Spirit. Sometimes when ministering in the crowd, the Spirit gives him street addresses, birthdays, or full names of individuals in the audience. Words of knowledge were also called out by Joshua for the healing of cataracts, high blood pressure and arthritis.

But his passion is the Glory of God – which is God’s presence brought about through praise and worship. He challenges the audience to praise the Lord – even when you don’t feel like it. When things are too hard for you, when the struggle has laid you low, “Praise Him,” he said, “and it will always change your atmosphere.”

“You can praise today because you know something is coming to you tomorrow.” And he inspired many to go home and no matter what difficulty we might be facing in life, no matter what struggles or heartache, that we should simply praise the name that is above all names – Jesus.

JAMES GOLL

James Goll of Encounters Network came on the scene Saturday morning with a fiery message about revival. The worship that ensued that morning reached a spontaneous breakthrough in the Spirit. Such was the power of that worship, that it led James Goll into an unrehearsed dramatic presentation of the Welsh revival, complete with British and Gaelic accents. It was a veritable spiritual free-for-all with prophetic songs and words, encouraging and motivating everyone for the revival just ahead.

This Welsh revival, he said, was only a prototype of what would be coming to a greater degree. To the wild cheers of the Christian audience, he prophesied of a new force to be reckoned with on the streets: prophetic evangelism.

Without dismissing the gifts of the Spirit, James insisted that it is just as supernatural to move in the fruit of the Spirit, as it is in the gifts of the Spirit. Never underestimate the revival of the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

MATT SORGER

Matt Sorger continued on that same theme, speaking about the balance between the anointing and character, and stressing the need for character above all else. “I’ve seen plenty of anointed people with a wrong spirit.” he said. “Plus, you can get a transference of the anointing,” he added, “but that doesn’t mean that God is endorsing your lifestyle!”

Matt discussed the virtue of character in a two-part sermon on the qualities that either make us or break us in obtaining a mantle. He compared the two divergent concepts through the lives of Saul and David. Pride, resentfulness, jealously were all hallmarks of Saul’s life, which led to his downfall.

Meanwhile, David had to endure the hardships of an abusive authority figure – without feelings of resentment or revenge. He had to endure a test of honor before he was awarded his prophetic destiny. And, that test of honor dealt more with his character, than it did his anointing.

Matt then gave practical advice on dealing with abusive authority figures in our lives.

In a reenactment in the life of David, Matt put his jacket around little Lincoln Mills, son of Joshua and Janet. This act prompted people to sense that this was a prophetic demonstration of the mantle upon that little boy’s life.

It was truly a historic conference which set the stage for Matt Sorger Ministries to be catapulted into a new level. The ministry is already sensing an urgency and seriousness of the hour that is upon us, and is seeking to fulfill the work in breadth and scope that pastrevivals never could.

Coincidence or Evidence of Endtime Prophesy?

Take a look at this building. It looks somewhat strange and perhaps unfinished, but it doesn't look sinister, does it?

It's the Strasbourg Building in Strasbourg, France, where the European Parliament meets regularly. This is one of three headquarter sites of the European Union.

Its architects would have you believe that the unfinished-looking structure denotes the "unfinished nature of Europe." But if you look carefully at the picture below, you may begin to draw a conclusion that the architects modeled the building after Bruegel's painting of the Tower of Babel.

TOWER OF BABEL HISTORY
The biblical story of Babylon (Genesis 11), set in the post-Noahic world, was the first systematic, coordinated rebellion against God, led by Nimrod, who founded Babel. And, as such, it becomes the first "worldly, secular government" in recorded history.

Nimrod attempted to lead people away from the true God by teaching an erroneous doctrine of fulfilment and destiny apart from God; in the same way that modern educators teach the theory of evolution in an attempt to explain created life without a Creator. (Some tactics by the enemy never change.)

Jewish Historian Josephus has written that the Mighty Nimrod "gradually changed the government into tyranny, seeing no other way of turning men from the fear of God, but to bring them into a constant dependence on his power."

With the flood still fresh in people's minds, Nimrod said he would be "revenged on God, if he should have a mind to drown the world again; for that he would build a tower too high for the waters to be able to reach! and that he would avenge himself on God for destroying their forefathers!" (Complete Works of Flavius Josephus).

Once the Lord saw their evil intent (as they all spoke one language), He caused the abrupt ceasing of construction by confusing their language. Ironically, in a parody on the pride of Babel, the name Babel (bab-ili) in Babylonian literature meant "the gate of God." But in Hebrew it sounds like the word for confusion -- and so it was, the Tower of Confusion.

NOW BACK TO THE MODERN TOWER

In the event that you haven't been convinced of the EU's model for the Tower of Babel, see this original poster for the European Union. It has since been removed from their advertising.

The comparison is distinct. The building has the same unfinished look to it. And the ad copy used here is a direct counterpoint to Babel -- Babel had one voice that was divided into many languages; Europe has many languages that wants to speak with one voice.

THE BEAST POWER

You ready for more? As we've seen from last time, the book of Daniel shows that the economic and military superpower that will appear in the last days will arise out of the ashes of the old Roman Empire. The book of Revelation depicts that same endtime power as a woman riding a beast (Rev 17:1-5).

On the woman's forehead, scripture says, "was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH," Rev 17:5 (KJV).

Is it just a coincidence that this statue is in front of the Winston Churchill building at the EU Complex in Strasbourg, France? While this is not really the same beast or woman as outlined in scripture, it is telling that such a structure would be there.

Daniel's Dream About Our Future

There's always been such confusion over where the coming endtime beast power will arise on the earth. The Book of Daniel, chapter two, gives the answer. It shows that King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream -- it was a prophetic dream detailing the world's gentile governments that would rule before the return of Christ.

This is how Daniel describes the dream to Nebuchaddnezzar: "You, O king, were watching as a great statue — one of impressive size and extraordinary brightness — was standing before you. Its appearance caused alarm. As for that statue, its head was of fine gold, its chest and arms were of silver, its belly and thighs were of bronze. Its legs were of iron; its feet were partly of iron and partly of clay. You were watching as a stone was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its iron and clay feet, breaking them in pieces. Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were broken in pieces without distinction and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors that the wind carries away. Not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a large mountain that filled the entire earth."
(Dan 2:31-35 NET)

This prophetic dream dealt specifically with world governments, the last of which, symbolized as the "stone that was cut without hands" (Dan 2:45), represents the Kingdom of God coming upon the earth with the return of Jesus.

diagram from http://blackinkdesigns.com/

Due to the accuracy of the prophesy, biblical critics have attempted to date the book after the fact. However, Jesus calls Daniel a prophet (Matt 24:15). Let's take Jesus' words over this, rather than man's.

The book appears to have been written at the time of the Babylonian captivity of the Jews (during the first kingdom, Babylon) and into the beginning of the Persian Kingdom (Dan 1:1, Dan 10:1). And it foresaw the coming of three gentile empires: Persia, Greece and Rome (see Dan 8 & Dan 11).

Jesus came at the time of the Roman Empire, when Rome issued a decree to kill all newborns. Jerusalem was sacked by the Roman Empire in 70 AD. The Roman Empire (the legs of iron) would go through a series of revivals until the endtimes, signified by the toes (part of iron, part of clay).

Each metal symbolized a different empire. The fact that the toes are part iron and part clay symbolizes that the last empire would be a continuation of the Roman Empire (iron) coupled with another, weaker entity (clay, Dan 2:41).

Once this ten-toed (or ten nations) revival occurs, and subsequent prophecies are fulfilled, then Jesus returns. "In the days of those kings (represented by the toes) the God of heaven will raise up an everlasting kingdom that will not be destroyed and a kingdom that will not be left to another people. It will break in pieces and bring about the demise of all these kingdoms. But it will stand forever."
(Dan 2:44 NET)

This is why we need to keep an eye on Europe for endtime prophesy.

Next time I write I want to show you some interesting parallels between endtime prophecies and the European Union.

There are Lights in the Media!

Well, this is really wonderful. At a time when it's unfashionable to be a Christian, at a time when the media has ushered an onslaught of anti-Christian rhetoric, it's really refreshing to hear a member of the media talk about God as if He was real and to bring a message of hope to a troubled world from the scriptures.

This is Glenn Beck, a conservative commentator from Fox News, reacting after the tragedy of a gunman killing 13 people at a Upstate New York Immigrant Center in Binghamton, NY.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if all news commentators reflected on the news using the scriptures for moral clarity and for determining the signs of the times through prophesy?

Preparing the Way for the Antichrist

It's very awkward to keep silent about problems brewing in a new administration. On the one hand, you don't want to sound impatient or disrespectful if you point out some problem. Plus, you want to give the administration the benefit of the doubt.

But, then again, I think you can report the news and let people decide for themselves about what's going on in the world -- without being disrespectful.

The above video is the O'Reilly Factor's Talking Points on President Barack Obama's visit to London for the G-20 meeting.

Unfortunately, what we can say is that the President, being an internationalist, is abdicating U.S. dominance on the world's stage to that of a supporting role among lesser nations. We are literally telling the world that they must fill the vacuum we're leaving behind. What that means biblically is that the President is helping to pave the way for the prophesied endtime beast power of Revelation.

This major power that will come upon the world's stage will come benevelently as one that can solve all the world's ills.

In the person of Barack Obama, we have a prototype of how a future antichrist can capture the world's attention, allegiance and ultimate submission. President Obama is not the antichrist. However, we can see how the Obama-phenomenon can be easily replicated in the future when a world leader arises telling everyone that he has all the answers to all the world's economic ills.

Look at the way President Obama is heralded as a hero, all the while setting up an economy that may bankrupt this country. And we are blindly letting it happen.

Serious times are upon us.